


who needs a friend when I've got you

by sandpapersnowman



Series: ACEE: Preacher Season 3 [3]
Category: Preacher (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, F/M, Gen, Missing Scene, Season/Series 03, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 17:23:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15296388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: Cassidy dangles from the tree bound and gagged, and it takes everything in Jesse not to cut him down.





	who needs a friend when I've got you

**Author's Note:**

> title from the wombats' [Your Body Is A Weapon](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/wombats/yourbodyisaweapon.html)
> 
> season 3 episode 3 fic! doin it lads! the time between cassidy being hung up and the tombs

Cassidy dangles from the tree bound and gagged, and it takes everything in Jesse not to cut him down.

He knows how hard the ropes are tied, because he'd been the one to tie them more than once in the past. If he gets out of this alive, his ribs will be bruised from his elbows being forced against them, his thighs will be sore from the unnaturally straight pose held for so long, and his jaw will ache for days.

There's not much he can do to save him, either. He  _told_  him to stay unknown and out of sight, and why, and Cassidy is so spoiled from hundreds of years of vampire healing that he couldn't bear to wait just  _a few days_  before feeding again. Or, just as likely, maybe he's just  _greedy_  -- who cares about the lives of his best friend and the mutual love of their lives when he could kill a chicken instead?

(A chicken that Jesse hates to think about. A stupid, suspiciously old chicken that Jesse should have just left in the road.)

(A chicken that's making a pretty ironic metaphor, now.)

Cassidy tries to say something through the gag, but he's sure his mouth was already stuffed with cloth before they tied another around his head.

"I have a better idea," he finds himself saying.

The tombs are awful, and he's never wanted to set foot in them again, but... It's the best chance Cassidy has, now. If he can stay alive until Jesse gets them all out of this, it'll be fine. Cassidy doesn't have to forgive him right away, but he will eventually, and that's all Jesse can ask for now.

In the time between putting the chains on him and taking the gag away, Jesse asks for a moment alone with him.

"I thought he was my best friend, but he's just a  _monster_ ," he spits, not looking at Cassidy.

Jody and T.C. nod and leave, and as bad as he feels that Cassidy flinches when Jesse comes toward him, something sick and jealous and angry deep in him echoes out,  _good_.

"Jesus, Cass, I'm not gonna hurt you," he mutters, and starts untying the gag. "This is better than dying at dawn, right? You'll be able to fight for yourself."

Cassidy doesn't say a word even once the gag is off, still just glaring up at Jesse. Still waiting on the truth.

"You'll win," Jesse insists. "You'll be okay, and in a few days, we're all going to be out of here. I promise."

Cassidy snorts at that, and gives Jesse another doubtful glare.

"You make a  _lot_  of promises, Jess."

"I know," Jesse admits, just about the closest he's ever come to truly  _apologizing_  for getting them into something fucked up in the first place. "I know, Cass, I  _know_ , but if you can just trust me one more time," he begs. "Please. I'm going to get us all out of here in one piece. I swear."

Cassidy hesitates.

(He knows Jesse is lying to himself just as much as he's lying to Cassidy, or maybe he really is just stupid enough to think they can get out of this okay and unchanged and whole. His grandma has him wrapped around her creepy, wrinkly little finger, and they live with the only human that Cassidy's ever seen beat Jesse in a fight. He's outmatched and cornered, and they're all there with him, and Jesse is  _still_  trying to preach to them.)

(He considers the love potion again. He considers Tulip, really -- he trusts her to get out of here one way or another, because she's never been someone to prioritize revenge over getting the fuck out of Dodge. As much as he'd hate to be apart from her, as much as the idea of eternity hurts again now that he's found someone worth  _living_  for again, he couldn't live with himself either if he ended up getting her killed anyway just because he doesn't want to live without her.)

(Hell, Jesse  _did_  get her killed, and it's a miracle that they got her back at all. He doesn't know how  _Jesse_  can live with himself.)

"What's in here?" Cassidy finally says. "What am I going to be up against?" he asks bitterly.

"Probably nothing you wouldn't pick a fight with, anyway," Jesse jokes weakly. It's not the time. "People with nothing left to lose and nothing left to live for. Things that aren't people anymore. Couple things that might never've been people," Jesse says solemnly, with the robotic inflection of a twisted advertisement. Come one, come all; watch the people-shaped creatures open up their people-colored guts.

(Cassidy thinks about Tulip again.)

(He'll be thinking about Tulip when he fights, too, but that might just be because he no longer finds himself  _not_  thinking about Tulip.)

"Fuck you, Jesse," he sighs.

He's already exhausted.


End file.
